Phoenix Workshops

Phoenix Workshops

Phoenix Workshops have been a staple component of BGF’s holistic care and support for a number of years. They support PLHIV to face life’s challenges, build confidence and initiate positive change. The workshops engage with participants in areas such as:

Mood disorders and resilience

Stress, anxiety and managing change

Returning to work, study or volunteering

Learning new skills (ie - art or short story writing)

Social housing issues

Legal concerns

Phoenix Workshops have had a profound effect on improving participants’ sense of wellbeing, social inclusion and quality of life.

Current Workshops

Art Phoenix

This workshop series "HIV heART" will feature outdoor drawing, painting in the studio and the use of collage to create images. The venue for this workshop is in Darlington, and the course runs for 2 hours each Wednesday morning for 6 weeks. A $20 fee applies to cover all materials each course.

Whether you are a beginner with little or no experience, or an experienced artist, this is a forum where you can work at your level and pace. Direction and guidance will be provided to those who request or require it.

Eat Well Live Well

Run in partnership with Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre, this is a 10 week course, teaching not only hands on Cooking skills, but also Health and Nutrition. We address food insecurity, which is not only defined by income, but by mobility, access to transport, knowledge and skills and good mental health.

Food security is long term and ongoing, rather than week to week and healthy diets lead to good disease management . HIV and the medications can cause people to have low levels of naturally occurring vitamins that we get from the food we eat compared to people without HIV and throughout the workshop we look at the nutrients most affected and foods that can help replete them.

Subject matter includes:

2 group sessions with a dietician plus 1 on 1 consultations

Addressing mental health (Black Dog Institute)

Reading food labels and a shopping trip

Eating out on a budget and making heathy choices

Substituting healthy ingredients

Finding the motivation to cook for one

Food budgeting

Kitchen and food hygiene

Hands on cooking skills

Mindfulness

Each week all participants also cook a 2 course lunch in the fully equipped commercial kitchen.